Black is the Color of Beauty

Chapter 22

Bo's POV

Lei's and Bo's apartment

October 20, 2019

   " NiNi..... Day? What have they done to you baby?" my tone is laced with my confusion. One moment Lei, Kevin and I were talking about Lei's video call with Ty and the next thing I know I'm looking down at these two American girls. I don't have memories of Day or NiNi, but over the past few months the guys showed me pictures of them nonstop. Lei believes seeing these pictures will hopefully trigger a memory prior to NiNi disappearing at the airport. 

   Upon hearing me say their names, Kevin and Lei rush over to the door. Our apartment is immediately filled with Kevin's angry voice.
" What the hell happened to you?!?!," he ask Day. Day takes a reflexive step back away from him. What does he mean? But, it wasn't until now that I really had taken in the girl's appearance. I turn my head in NiNi's direction. It only took a second to understand Kevin's angry outburst. I put my right hand under the left side of her jaw and tilt her head to the side. Her left cheek is puffy as hell and had a yellowish tinged bruise on it. Her left eye was slightly smaller in comparison to her right. That means she probably had a black eye and its almost done healing. I wish I could take her pain away or better yet kill the person that did this to her. NiNi's dark brown eyes look into mines. All I could see is pain in her eyes, my heart begin to ache. She grabs my left hand and remove it from her face. " Don't worry about me, this is nothing in comparison to Day," she comments sadly then nods her head in Day's direction.

I was so caught up looking at NiNi, I didn't even take a second glance at the petite brown skin blasian girl standing a few feet to the right of her. At first glance, Day appears to be normal. Just like in the pictures, she's a short woman with a mass of curly black hair and dainty facial features. But, after hearing the anger in Kevin's voice and sadness in NiNi's voice..... I know something must be wrong. So, I cut on the kitchen light and look at Day again. The light showed to me what was hidden by the darkness. The first thing I notice is Day's skin, it looked like it was drained of color as if she is sick. The coloring was different from the rich walnut color that I saw in pictures Kevin showed me. Then, my eyes travel down to her exposed forearms.... are those needle m.... but, Lei's voice interrupts my unspoken and unfinished question.

   " Bo, take the girls upstairs and we will talk once you come back," Lei's tone tells me there isn't room to debate his instructions. Normally, I hate when he uses that tone with me. But, right now I just want to have a moment alone with NiNi. I need to talk to her about something important. I begin walking up the stairs, with Day and NiNi trailing behind me. I stop at a door that is to the immediate right at the top of the stairs. " Day, you can sleep here. Kevin will be up here after we talk downstairs," I open up a door to show the girls a modest sized bedroom tastefully decorated with a chocolate brown and tan color scheme. Day glances in NiNi's direction and begins picking at the marks on her arm. NiNi notices what Day is doing too. "Bo, I think that it might be best if I sleep with Day tonight or at least stay with her while you guys talk. Right Day?," she places her hand gently on Day's shoulder. Day nods. Shit, so that's what it is? She's too scared of being alone.

" Okay, that's fine with me. Day, do you mind if I speak to NiNi for a moment down the hall? I promise to leave the door open and cut on the hallway lights," I say to her hoping that my voice was coming off as gentle and nonthreatening. Day looks down at the for and slowly nods her head. "Don't worry Day, I'll only gone for a few minutes ok?!?!", NiNi pulls Day into a hug, then whispers something to her that I can't make out. Whatever NiNi said must be funny because Day cracks a small smile. Damn, even her smiles seem fragile. "Lead the way Bo," NiNi say in a nonchalant tone. I reach out to grab her hand, but she pulls it away from me. What the fuck? But, I look behind NiNi to see that Day is watching us with cautious eyes. Ahhhh, I get it she doesn't want to have any physical touching going on in front of Day. As quick that moment was happening, it was gone.

   " Is this your bedroom?," she questioned me. " Duh," I laugh at her question. Of course its my bedroom, who else bedroom would it be? " What is so funny?" she sasses at me. "Your question is funny. You are acting like you don't know what my bedroom looks like," the laughter starts again before I can even finish my sentence. NiNi looks dumbfounded. As if she doesn't know what to say or what I'm talking about. Maybe its just the shock of being held captive for those month. "Oh okay," she plops down on my king size bed. The contrast of her brown skin against the black silk sheets does something to me. I wonder what she would look like wrapped up in the covers. "Have you always been so dark?," NiNi's motions her hand around my room. My bed is covered in black silk sheets with silver silk pillows. The shag carpet sitting at the foot of the bed is black. The walls are painted black with cool grey accents. The nightstands were dark grey accentuated with black. And sitting on each nightstand were vases filled with fake black flowers. One nightstand have black lilies and the other black roses. " I just remodeled recently and black was the first thing that came to mind," I reply to her question. She gives me a weird look. What's so weird about the color black? " Okay, so what did you want to talk about?," fuck I was so caught up in the image of having her in my bed that I almost forgot why we are in here.  

  "So," I grab her hand and continue talking "we need to talk about our living arrangements and your security details for now on." NiNi snatch her hand so quickly from as if she was burnt. I glance down at my hand. Was something wrong with it? "What do you mean? Living arrangements and security details?", she rushes out. "Well since you're in China the Xuanyan is in full effect. And since you're my fiancee its expected that we live together and that you have your own bodyguard baby," I explain. She raises her eyebrow. " Baby??? What???," she screeches out. Maybe she's freaking out over being guarded at all times. " I know that you might not like having a bodyguard, but I am connected to and hate by a lot of dangerous men. I know it may seem intense, but its standard," hopefully my explanation cools her down a bit. Now, it is NiNi's turn to start laughing. But, after noticing the serious look on my face she stops."Bo, you are acting strange," damn she doesn't miss a thing. I didn't want to tell her, but I guess I have to. "Well, after you were kidnapped I don't remember what happened. I woke up in China in a bed with Kevin, some guy and Lei taking care of me. I don't remember anything from the last year of my life. They think its short term memory loss. So, Lei and Kevin has been showing me pictures of you with the hopes it will trigger something," my shoulders suddenly feels lighter after saying this. Almost as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. But, only its only a moment into me enjoying this newfound lightness that I hear a gasp from NiNi. She is covering her mouth and her eyes showing some undescribed emotion. Is she hurt that I can't remember her? Of course she is? My sweet words and failed touches doesn't take away that her fiancee doesn't remember her. Seeing her hurt, puts me in a panic.
"But, don't worry about it. Lei told me about the Xuanyan. Kevin told me how we were dating before all of this. And, I'm glad that they did. It gave me something to look forward to. Hopefully, my memories come back so I don't have to rely so much on others. But, I am thankful that I have friends here to guide me through all of this bullshit," and I meant every last word I am saying. "Is that what they told you?," NiNi looks up me with a lost look in her eyes. "Yes," and in that moment I did what was natural to me. I pull this beautiful woman into my arms.